South Dakota
Lessons beyond the blackboard: How a tiny school built big futures for a rural community
PIERRE, S.D. — Old one-room schoolhouses played a fundamental role in bringing education to children in rural communities for generations.
Though the walls of this classroom north of Pierre are crumbling, the memories remain in the minds of those who spent years learning in them.
Jim Schumacher attended first through eighth grades at the Plainview School. His family built the schoolhouse in the 1920s, and it functioned as a school until the mid- to late 1980s. It is located 15 miles north of Pierre, in the Peoria Township area.
“It was built by my grandfather and his dad, and my father was probably one of the first classes that came here,” Schumacher said. “There was a school before that — that was a little further west down the road — and once the county came in and actually built roads, they moved it over here.”
Judy McLaughlin
Before the Oahe Dam was built, the Peoria township had two schoolhouses, one of which was located in the river bottom. Once the dam was built, that area was flooded.
“This [Plainview] was the only school left, and frankly, at that point, there weren’t that many families left,” Schumacher said. “There’s been some more that have moved in since that, but at the time, I think probably five or six kids at the time was probably the most that we had while I was here, for the most part.”
Courtesy / Judy McLaughlin
Students could attend kindergarten through the eighth grade at Plainview, and then they would go to Pierre for high school. There was one teacher and one classroom for all grades. But that didn’t mean they had any less of an education.
“When I got to the eighth grade, there was three of us in eighth grade, and when we went into town, we all made the honor roll,” Schumacher said. “You didn’t miss out on anything by being here.”
Ariana Schumacher / Agweek
“You were absorbing what was going on in the other classes as well,” said Colleen McCurrin, who attended Plainview from kindergarten through sixth grade. “You did tend to, you know, hear the other things that were going on, and when your particular homework was done, you might turn around and help some of the younger kids in the younger classes.”
Ariana Schumacher / Agweek
Mark Venner moved to the area when he was in third grade from Agar, South Dakota. While the Agar school was small, transferring to Plainview was still a big adjustment.
“I was overwhelmed,” Venner said. “The Agar school wasn’t very big, as you know, and I walked to school there. I just walked down the alley, and I was there. Here we drove 6 miles to school.”
Courtesy / Mark Venner
Venner was in the same grade as Schumacher. There were only two other students there at the time: Schumacher’s sister Judy and his aunt Marcia.
The school was small, and it had no plumbing or running water. There was a small sink with a pump to bring water into the building, with a cistern that took water off the roof. Students would also haul in water in 5-gallon containers.
Finding teachers willing to drive out of town and work in a rustic schoolhouse could be a challenge, but they were still able to find quality educators for the school.
Courtesy / Judy McLaughlin
One in particular, Miss Linstedt, was an inspiration to the students she taught at Plainview. Her family lived about 60 miles from the school, so she lived in the classroom during the week and went home on the weekends. She sectioned off a small corner of the room with a sheet, set up a cot, and had a hot plate to cook on.
“There’s probably not a whole lot of teachers that you could get to do that anymore,” Schumacher said. “I’m surprised, frankly, that we had the quality of teachers that we did.”
“That was pretty awesome to me that the teacher lived in the school. I’ll never forget that,” Venner said.
Courtesy / Charlene Schumacher
In the winters, recess would be moved to the school’s basement, where there was a coal furnace. There was a grate that brought the heat upstairs to the classroom.
“We would all gather around that grate with our feet, sitting in our desks with our feet over the grate, especially on Monday mornings, because it was cold,” Venner said.
“In the later years, they put in forced air and had an actual heating system,” Schumacher said. “We always had electricity, but other than that, there wasn’t a whole lot for amenities.”
During that time, there was no internet, but there was a radio that was used as a learning tool in the Plainview classroom.
“There were radio programs that we could get that would teach like once a week. We learned German one year,” Schumacher said.
Christmas parties were always a big deal at the school.
“We always had a Christmas program. I tell people one reason I’m not afraid to get up and speak is because there weren’t enough kids that anybody got by being a plant or an animal; everybody had a speaking part,” Schumacher said.
Courtesy / Charlene Schumacher
While they may not have had access to all the things the bigger public schools had, there were also perks to having a smaller school.
“I’m sure we missed out on some of the machinery that some of the bigger schools had, but we also missed out on a lot of the politics that I have learned since my own children have gone to school. There’s a lot of things we didn’t miss at all,” Schumacher said. “It was definitely a good start.”
“I got straight A’s after my freshman year,” Venner said. “Country school is the foundation.”
Courtesy / Colleen McCurrin
Lifelong friendships were formed at that small country school on the prairie.
“My lifelong friend Theresa is still one of my best memories,” McCurrin said. “You spent more time together, and you also had, you know, again, the rural community, you had that in common as well as just being … classmates. Theresa and I have stayed together through thick and thin all the way through high school, and I get to see her here in a couple of weeks.”
Courtesy / Colleen McCurrin
Schumacher and Venner have also remained close friends.
“He was in my wedding, and I was not home when he got married to Charlene, so I didn’t make the wedding,” Venner said. “But, you know, we’ve stayed in touch.”
Several Plainview students moved away from the area, but for Schumacher, McCurrin and Venner, the Peoria Township area is still their home.
Since graduating from high school in Pierre, Schumacher has remained on the family farm, where he and his wife raised their two children and now have several grandchildren.
“I’ve lived within one mile of where I started my entire life,” Schumacher said.
McCurrin stayed in the area and worked, was very involved with
FFA
, and was able to do some work experience abroad with FFA.
Venner went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in ag engineering and master’s degree in education, and taught high school math in Rapid City for a while. He moved to Florida to continue to work for the Air Force and earned another master’s degree in industrial engineering before returning to the family’s organic farming operation.
Courtesy / Judy McLaughlin
But no matter where they ended up in life, these Plainview students credit their country school for being the foundation of their education.
“That shaped me, it really did. It turned me into a fighter,” Venner said.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles on one-room schoolhouses: their history and their
present status
in rural communities. In this installment, Ariana Schumacher recounts the history of Plainview School, which her family members, including her uncle, Jim Schumacher, who is quoted in the story, attended. If you have a story about attending a one-room schoolhouse or about current uses of former one-room schoolhouses, email it to jschlecht@agweek.com for possible inclusion in a future issue of Agweek.
The South Dakota State baseball team is fighting for its season today against Arizona State in the Lincoln Regional. The game is set for 2 p.m.
The No. 4 Jackrabbits (24-32) lost 4-1 to No. 1 Nebraska in the opening game. No. 3 Arizona State lost a 706 heartbreaker to No. 2 Ole Miss in the opening round in 14 innings. The game took nearly 5.5 hours and ended around 1:20 a.m.
Here’s how to watch South Dakota State’s win-or-go-home game.
Watch South Dakota State baseball vs … on ESPN+
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State baseball stream, radio
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: KJJQ 910 AM
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State time today
- Date: Saturday, May 30
- Time: 2 p.m. CT
- Location: Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State prediction
Paul Cifonelli, Argus Leader: This was always a tough draw for South Dakota State, as I thought this was the toughest regional in the country. At worst it’s the third toughest, with Chapel Hill and College Station in contention.
The Jackrabbits do have an advantage since Arizona State and Ole Miss went at it until after 1 a.m. Both teams stressed their pitching staffs, and every at bat required intense focus. The problem is South Dakota State doesn’t have the same top-end pitching these other teams do.
If Drew McDowell pitches, the Jacks might have a shot here. Otherwise they’ll have to win a slugfest, and I just don’t like those odds.
Prediction: Arizona State 8, South Dakota State 3
MISSION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – In rural South Dakota, miles often separate expectant mothers from healthcare.
“A lot of women out here are left without any maternity care options,” said Rachel Kocak.
In Mission, moms mark their due dates and calculate miles to the nearest delivery location. Rachel Kocak, expecting her third child, said one option just closed.
“We used to have a birthing unit, I think up until a couple of months ago, and they lost their OB. So, Winner is no longer delivering babies,” Rachel said.
Some mothers remember when they could reach the hospital within a five-minute drive.
“IHS, for tribal members, they don’t deliver babies out here or provide prenatal care,” Rachel explained.
Families hope to reach the hospital before the baby arrives.
“So women either have to drive to Valentine, which is about 30 to 35 minutes from Mission, they can go to Wanblee, which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation, or they have to go to Pierre, Rapid City, or Sioux Falls,” Rachel said.
And if the roads are bad.
“I think there are a lot of babies who are unintentionally born at home. So it’s a tough place, I think, for mothers,” Rachel said.
The March of Dimes breaks down government data, showing a large portion of rural South Dakota as a maternity care desert, requiring travel of 38 or more minutes to reach an appointment or delivery room. The infant mortality rate is higher among native American babies born, compared to other races.
Health Department maps show counties in medium blue have 56 infant deaths per 100,000 births. Dark blue counties have three times as many. Grants aim to increase the number of healthcare workers, and funding supports a doula workforce program.
Kocak would like to see doulas and midwives available.
“Great opportunity for anyone who wants to become a home-birth midwife out here. The birth rate is still, I’m not sure what it is, but it’s high. There’s still a growing young population, and just not enough people to help deliver the babies,” Rachel said.
If care were closer, the outcomes could be brighter.
“You know, having the support network can make a huge change in the lives of these young, you know, these babies and young mothers who are building new families,” Rachel said.
The South Dakota Department of Health released a statement to Dakota News Now, which can be read in full below.
The South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force was created in 2025 to bring partners together to help improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and infants across the state. Their 5-year strategic plan was recently released, which has three priority areas: postpartum care to improve maternal health; safe sleep education and prevention strategies to protect infant health; and systems of care work that improves access, coordination, and quality of care statewide. One of the strategic plan activities that is supported by Rural Health Transformation is the creation of Regional Maternal and Infant Health Hubs, which will create a hub-and-spoke network connecting hospitals, clinics, tribal health services, and community organizations. These hubs will improve care coordination, strengthen referral pathways, and expand access to services for families in rural and tribal communities.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
While the race to secure the nomination for governor has dominated the headlines ahead of the June 2 primary, Republican voters will also choose a candidate for one of South Dakota’s two U.S. Senate seats.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who is seeking a third, six-year term, holds a comfortable lead over his GOP primary challenger, Justin McNeal, a Navy veteran and business owner from Rapid City, according to the latest poll from News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy.
Here is a recap of the two candidates along with their thoughts heading into the June 2 election. The winner of the Republican primary will meet Democrat Julian Beaudion and Independent Brian Bengs in the Nov. 3 general election.
Hometown: Fort PierreAge: 71Occupation: Insurance broker; businessman; former governor (2003-2011); U.S. senator since 2015In their own words:
Rounds provided the following statement to News Watch:
“Working in the U.S. Senate, I’ve stayed focused on results that matter for our kids and grandkids. That means keeping the government off your back and out of your business and wallet. That means keeping our communities safe and creating a business climate that encourages job growth to keep our kids in South Dakota. And that means safety through a commitment to our men and women in uniform.
This past summer, we worked with President Trump to pass the Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts legislation. Without Congressional action, the average South Dakota family would have seen a $2,500 tax hike this year. Our legislation not only prevented the largest tax increase in American history, but it also provided additional tax relief for hard-working South Dakota families. That includes no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for nearly 9 out of 10 seniors.
We’ve accomplished some great things, but our work is not done. I am running for reelection to continue bringing results back home to South Dakota.”
Hometown: Rapid City (born in Illinois and raised in Texas)Age: 42Occupation: Business owner (Dakota BioChar); Navy veteran (2001-2007)In their own words:
“I’m feeling the people in South Dakota are ready for a change. The challenge we are running into is that not enough people know who we are, but as soon as they know who we are, it’s an easy decision for them,” McNeal told News Watch in a phone interview. “I don’t have millions and millions of dollars. I’ve been largely self-funding this race up to this point.”
McNeal, who is a licensed pilot, said he has flown his small plane to events throughout the state in an attempt to get his name out.
“I talk to people about the issues that matter and I tell them the biggest thing you can do to help me is tell 10 people about me and to go vote June 2. We need about 50,000 votes to win the primary,” he said.
McNeal is not critical of Rounds and conceded “he is very popular” but said Rounds has not done enough to tackle the country’s growing fiscal deficit.
“I don’t think Mike is doing a bad job. I’m just concerned with the federal debt and the people that got us into that mess are not going to be the ones to get us out of it,” McNeal said.
“This is going to cripple the country. It just seems like politicians are focused on what they can bring to their home district or home state. And the problem with that is every member of Congress is doing the same thing, so everyone is taking and taking without making sure we can pay for it.”
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org.
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